Driving gear for drink mixing device or the like



Aug. 28, 1951 E. s. PRINCE ET AL 2,555,526

DRIVING GEAR FOR DRINK MIXING DEVICE OR THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 4,1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR-5 Aug. 28, 1951 E. s. PRINCE ETALDRIVING GEAR FOR DRINK MIXING DEVICE OR THE LIKE 4 Shets-Sheet 5Original Filed 001,. 4, 1945 M lAw/zlzzd A g- 1951 E. s. PRINCE ET AL2,565,626

DRIVING GEAR FOR DRINK MIXING DEVICE OR THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 4,1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 o I, 0 3/5 g5 94 I 156 g 166 /6 ZJ6 0 59 155 A l"I U U a 1 if Z I "A; 1795 LA l i ,175 J46 I 504 J 2'05 5w g J74 l mi .INVENTORS .lk fli-flzzrzce 54 e /zmfrvfieffg Patented Aug. 28, 1951DRIVING GEAR FOR DRINK MIXING DEVICE OR THE LIKE Earl S Prince and JohnBrotheridge, Rock Falls, 111., assignors to Prince Castle ManufacturingDivision, 1110., Sterling, 111., a corporation of Illinois Originalapplication October 4, 1945, Serial No. 620,304. Divided and thisapplication July 26, 1947, Serial No. 763,818

Claims. I. This invention relates to adriving gear for multiple spindledrink mixing devices although the invention may be of broaderapplication.

The present application is a division of our pending application SerialNo. 626,304, filed October 4, 1945-, now Patent No. 2,531,989, forMultiple Drink Mixing Machine.

Among the objects of the present invention is toprovide a relativelylarge motor driven driving wheel for the separate spindles of a drinkmixer wherein the driving wheel is formed of sheet metal and providedwith a replaceable tire: which in its rotation is adapted to engagedriven wheels on separate spindles of drink mixers.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a drivingwheel formed of a plurality of sheet metal disks which are assembled toa. driving hub in a manner to provide simplicity and ruggedness inconstruction, economy in manufacture, and efiiciency in operation Yetanother object of the invention resides in providing a driving wheel ofthe character described, composed of a pair of sheet metal disks, andwherein the same are clamped to a hub member adapted to be driven.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the construction of theouter portion of the disks wherein the same form a peripheral channelfor the reception of replaceable rubber tire.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from a perusalof the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along thecentral axis of the device, showing our sheet metal driving member incross section;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the associated parts that make up thedevice;

Figure 3 is a plan section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is aplan section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the device in drivingposition;

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 66 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a plansection taken on the line '!-'l of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of the spring mounting.

Inasmuch as this divisional application relates only to theconstruction. of the driving wheel, the other irrelevant parts of thedrink mixing device illustrated and claimed in the parent applicationare not herein disclosed.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the machine in generalcomprises a fiat stationary base 2. As shown in Figure 2, this base 2 isgenerally circular although it may be substantially rectangular, and isprovided with a depressed portion and a surrounding upstanding rim 4vproviding a shallow tray. By reference to Figure 1 it will be noticedthat the rim 4 of the tray projects outwardly beyond the verticallongitudinal axis of the center mixing spindle, whereby the drip fromthe mixing spindle will be caught by the tray.

This tray is acasting of suitable metal and is formed at its rear with apreferably integral, vertical, hollow, upstanding column providing afront wall 6 and a fiat rear wall 8'. About midway of its height thefront and rear walls are connected by a transverse, horizontal, integralwall ill forming a horizontal support for the mixing head and housing.This wall H] is provided with two horizontally disposed, spaced,threadedly bored lugs l2 and M at opposite sides thereof, as shown inFigure 2, and which lugs are set back a slight distance from the frontwall 6 of. the bottom portion of the column. Above the transverse wallit the column continues upwardly as at E6 and terminates in an inwardlyextending horizontal flange I 8. The column is provided with theupstanding sidewalls 26 and 2 2 andfrom the transverse wall l6- upwardlyto-the transverse upper wall I8 is open at the front, and is closed bythe bottom front wall 6.

A mixing head is supported from this column. The head includes a motorhousing comprising a preferably sleeve-like portion 24 of sheet metaland a pair of spaced, rearwardly depending flanges 36 and 32 adapted tobe fastened. in position on the transverse horizontal wall It] andWithin the side walls 26 and 22 and the top wall l8. In addition thereis provided a top horizontal plate 36 having a central opening 38 and anupstanding peripheral flange All around: the opening. The plate 36isprovided with a peripheral upstanding larger flange 42 and a series.of spindle holes 44, 46, 48, 56- and 52 and a series of smaller holes54, 56, 58, 66 and 62. In addition the rear portion of the plate 46 isprovided with the two holes 64 and 66.

A sheet metal motor plate i2 is provided with a relatively largeaperture 14 at one end and four holes 16, 18, B6 and 82. In addition,the motor plate is provided with an upstanding integral rim 64. This rimis adapted to seat in the upstanding flange 48 of the top plate. Themotor plate is adapted to carry a spider comprising an integral metalcasting which comprises a circular rim 88 provided with five upstandingposts 38, 98, 92, 94 and 95. These posts are spaced. equidistantlyaround the forward arcuate portion of the rim 85 and in addition eachpost includes an outstanding radially projecting tongue or lug 98, I86,I82, I94, and I06. The rim is likewise provided with a series of holesI88, H6, H2 and H4 which holes register with the holes 16, 18, 88 and 82of the motor plate. Each upstanding post is in turn provided with ahorizontally extending hole H6, I18, I26, I22 and I24, hereinafterdescribed. As shown clearly in Figure 1, the flanges 84 of the motorplate, and the vertical flanges 38 and 32 and the flange 40 of the topplate, are positioned in contacting relation and are welded together.The top plate is bolted as at 61 through the holes 64 and 68 of the topplate into threaded holes I8 in the upper transverse horizontalpartition 18 of the base whereby in conjunction with the fact that thebottom portions of the flanges 35 and 32 are bolted as at 36 and 38 intothe threaded lugs I2 and I4 of the bottom horizontal flange IQ of thebase, means is provided for effectively and rigidly supporting the topplate, the motor plate, the spider and motor housing, from the base. .hesame bolts II that attach the spider 86 to the motor plate 12 likewisepass into the top portion of the motor and aflix it rigidly to the motorplate and spider whereby the motor I2! is mounted in the head with themotor spindle I23 upstanding therefrom. The bottom of the motor isprovided with electrical conduits 25 and I28, the latter connecting witha switch :28 having a control member I30 which projects be yond thelower end of the skirt portion 24 of the housing. The electrical cordI25 passes downwardly through an opening I32 in the flange I6 of thebase and thence downwardly through the column between the front andbackportions 3 and 8 respectively, and thence out through the open bottom ofthe column for connection to a source of current.

As shown clearly in Figure 8, the outwardly extending tongue I02 of thespider is provided with a flat portion I84 and is provided with a pairof fastener openings I38 adapted to have fastened thereto by means ofbolts I44 a tempered flat spring metal piece I45 which in turn isprovided with holes I48. Screws I56 pass through this plate and threadinto holes I52 formed in a laterally projecting lug I54 of a circularbearing housing I56 whereby the bearing housing is resiliently mountedon the spider by means of the spring plate I46. The bearing housing isadapted to project through any one of the openings 44, 46, 48, 50 and 52of the top plate. The bearing housing at its upper end includes a pairof perforated ears I58 through which, by means of a pin I59, ispivotally connected a link I60 perforated at its outer end to receive apin I62 which pivotally connects the link I60 with another link I64 inturn pivoted as at I65 in the hole of one of the uprights or standards94 carried by the spider 86. The two links I66 and I64 together with thethree pivots I56, I59, and I62 form a toggle joint link. Passing overthe pin I62 is the slotted portion I88 of an extension I18 of a plungerI12. This plunger is provided on its bottom portion with a peculiarlyformed slot I14 conformed to receive the rim of a cup in the mannershown substantially in the Brotheridge Patent 2,218,808 of Ootober 22,1940. In addition, surrounding the upper portion of the plunger I12 is acoil spring I16 which has its bottom end contacting against a shoulderI18 on the plunger portion and has its top portion pressing against theunderside of the two links I and I54 about the pin H52. The function ofthe spring is normally to force the plunger I12 downwardly to a pointwhere the pivot I62 is slightly below the horizontal level of the twocenters of the pivots I59 and Ito whereby the toggle is in a positionwhich tends to keep it as shown in Figure 6. However, upon raising ofthe plunger I12 by the insertion of the upper edge of the rim of the cupin the slot I14, the plunger I12 is moved upwardly, compressing thespring I16 and forcing the links I68 and I64 of the toggle upwardly.Since the pivot point I66 is fixed, the other pivot 559 will be pulledinwardly toward the pivot I66 which will thus pull the bearing housingI56 inwardly.

The upper end of the bearing housing is provided with a flange seat I toreceive a ball bearing I82 to take the thrust of the mixing spindle I86against the large driving wheel. A guard I88 closes the opening aboutthe bearing I84. The upper end of the mixing spindle I is threaded as atI98 and carries a preferably metal friction roller I92. A cap I94 isthreaded on the spindle I86 to hold the roller I92 in place. The centralportion of the bearing housing I55 is formed as a lubricant reservoir.The bottom portion of this housing is closed by a hard Babbitt or bronzebearing I98 and in addition there is a slinger means 280 which ispressed onto the spindle and against the shoulder portion 282 of thespindle I36. This slinger means includes an upstanding circular,outwardly extending flange 284, the outer end of which overlies aninwardly and upwardly projecting flange 205 on a sleevelike closure 208attached to the bottom of the bearing and passing through one of theopenings such as 58 in the top plate. This slinger means 288 acts as adevice for keeping the drink out of the hearing as the slinger rotatesat high speed, and by centrifugal force will prevent the drink fromentering the bearing I98 while the spindle is in motion. Thissleeve-like closure 286 in effect forms an oil trough. There is a wick2H! which passes through an opening 2I2 in the bottom of the tubularbearing housing I56 and extends downwardly into this sleeve-like portion266, the action being such that any excess oil escaping past the hearingwill collect in the trough 206 and by capillary attraction will beconducted back up into the oil reservoir 2H]. The bottom of the spindleis provided with the usual type of mixing devices 2I2 and 2I4 affixed inany desired manner and any desired configuration thereon and thereinto.It will be noted that there are preferably five of these mixing spindlesprojecting downwardly through the bottom of the housing and that theyare equally spaced in a half circle and extend radially of the centralmotor spindle I23. It will be understood each one of the mixing spindlesI86 has on its upper end a metal driving wheel I92.

The claims of the present application are directed to the constructionof the motor driving wheel and the manner in which it is attached to acentral motor driven driving spindle I23. This motor driving spindle hasaffixed thereto a relatively larger, centrally disposed driving wheel2I5 which in the present instance is preferably formed of sheet metal.This driving wheel 2I5 is. comprised of an upper sheetmetal disk 2 l5and alower sheet metal disk 218. These two disks are secured to thespindle by means of a central circular block 220 having an outstandinglower flange 222 provided with suitable threaded per-- forations. Inaddition there is spacing ring 224 likewise having perforations, and anupper, ringlike cap. 225. A series of bolts or screws 228 pass throughregistering openings inv the spacing ring 224- and into the threadedflange. 222 of the block 220-. The. inner circular edges of the twodisks ZFI'G and 2 t3 are received between the up er edges of the flange222, the lower edges of the Spacing ring 224 and the upper edge of thespacing ring 2 24 and the top ring-like cap 225, whereby the twodisk-like portions. are thoroughly clamped rotatably to the motorspindle. The upper portion of the motor spindle is threaded and isadapted to receive a wheel puller nut 23!! which passes partiallythrough an opening in the upper ring-like cap 226. An integral flange23! on the nut is larger in diameter than said opening. The nut 230 withflange 231 cooperates with cap 225 to act as a wheel puller nut when itis turned off the spindle. It pulls the large driving wheel of thetapered spindle. The two disks 216- and 2H3 are shaped to converge inthe manner shown in Figure 1 They extend slightly upwardly and meet atan annular locus 232 from which location they extend in parallelism andin juxtaposed, overlapping relation as at 234. The portions in contactas at 234 are Welded together whereby to form an integral, ruggeddriving disk. Each disk is provided with one half portion of a rimreceptacle such as 236 and 238, which is adapted toreceive a rubber tireor rim 240 which may be removed for replacement or repair. Theparticular configuration of the driving disc provides clearance for thetoggles formed by the links Hill and H54 and the pins I52 whilerequiring a minimum of overhead room.

A sheet metal closure 242 having a circular flange 244 extends over thetop of the housing and carries an inwardly extending lip 245 which lieswithin the upstanding rim 42 of the top plate whereby to form adust-proof casing for the top of the housing. The top of this uppercasing 242. is fiat.

It will be noted that by reason of the fact that the tray 2 isstationary and that the depending spindles do not move orbitally withrespect to the base, a very convenient arrangement is provided wherebywhen a drink is put under any particular spindle and moved upwardly intothe position so that the bottom of the cup 24-8 is caught by the lip25!! of the support stud 252 carried by the bottom or the skirt portionof the housing, the cup will be clisengageably held in position with thespindle I56 projecting downwardl'y thereinto so that this cup willremain in this particular location so that an operator will always beable to locate and distinguish that particular cup from any other cup.Hence the location of a cup once put into the machine is definitelyfixed at all times until removed. The pairs of vertically elongated ribs254 are formed in spaced apart relation upon the sheet metal housing 24just opposite each one of the mixing spindles and relatively close tothe position of the depending plungers I14. The lower ends of theseribs, as shown in Figure 6, are tapered as shown at 255 so that as thecup is pushed upwardly the upper lip of the cup will strike this taperedsurface 255 and guide the upper lip of the cup into the slot I14 of theplunger I12.

Therefore these. ribs also actto guide the edge of the cup into the cupholder and to guide the cup into position for mixing. The spacingbetween the ribs fcrms a vertical track for the periphery of the cup sothat the operator can correspondingly position the cup by the feel ofthe edge of the cup against the two ribs.

In connection with the operation of the device, the insertion of thecup, as hereinbefore described, raises the plunger, thereby causing thebearing housing to be moved inwardly'against the tension plate M6 andagainst the tension. of the spring I16 so as to cause a roller I92 of aparticular spindle to engage the rubber tire 24B of the circular drivingwheel whereby that particular spindle is directly rotated at arelatively high rate of speed. Each particular spindle is thus capableof being selectively controlled by engaging or disengaging its drivingwheel from the constantly rotating central driving wheel formed by thedisksfii'fi and 298 and the tireZ'Ml. When the cup is released and moveddownwardly the spring mounting MB, which has been put under tension,will straighten out and carry the smaller driving roller I92 out ofcontact with. the rotating central driving wheel d0, whereby to assistthe spring H5 in this purpose, and this spring [l5 of the plunger thencarries the central pivot pin L52 downwardly below the level of thepivots i66- and E59 whereby to lock the small roller out of drivingengagement so that it cannot be inadvertently thrown into engagement unless another cup is inserted into mixing position.

It is apparent that many widely different e1nbcdiinents of thisinvention may be made without departing from the spirit and scopethereof, and therefore it is not intended to be limited except asindicated in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claimv as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1 A master driving wheel for a multiple spindle drink mixer or the likecomprising a pair of sheet metal disks having substantially registeringcentralapertures, the inner portions of the disks being spaced apart andbeing bent laterally in a commondirection but at different angles toprovide spaced, converging portions, each of said spaced, convergingportions being substantially conical and joining one another along acircular locus; said. disks outwardly from said initial junction ofcontact being bent reversely at an obtuse angle to said conical portionsand lying parallel and in contact one with the other and affixedtogether, the outer peripheral walls of said disks beyond said initialcontacting portions of said disks being bent substantially at rightangles and then flanged outwardly to provide a peripheral channel, atire mounted in said channel, and means for clainpingly uniting theinner registering edges of said discs in spaced apart relation.

2. A driving Wheel comprising a pair of sheet metal disks having centralregistering apertures, a central circular block having an outstandingflange provided with suitably spaced apart threaded perforations, aspacing ring having registering perforations and an upper ring-like caplikewise having registering perforations, said spacing ring beingdisposed between the lower flange of the central block and saidring-like cap, and the inner edges of said disks at their centralapertures being clamped between said spacing ring and said flange, saidspacing ring and said cap, and bolts passing through said registrationsof said cap, said ring and said flange of said circular block to holdthe same and the inner edges of said sheet metal disks in assembledrigid relation, said circular block having a cone-shaped central openingfitting onto the cone-shaped drive spindle of a motor, the upper end ofthe motor spindle being threaded, a wheel puller nut threadedly mountedon said outer threaded end of the motor spindle, and said ring-like caphaving a central opening through which said puller nut is adaptedpartially to pass, the opening in said cap fitting the puller nutthreaded onto said spindle whereby when the puller nut is turned offsaid spindle it serves to pull the large driving wheel off the taperedspindle of the motor.

3. A master drive for a multiple spindle drink mixing machine comprisinga central circular block having a flanged portion, a first disk having acentral aperture the inner edges of which are mounted upon said flangedportion, a separating ring adapted to clamp said first mentioned innerdisk portion against said flanged portion, a second disk having acentral opening and a locking ring for clamping the inner circularportion of said second disk against said separating ring, said disksbeing formed of sheet metal and each having its annular portions fromthe clamped inner peripheral portions extending outwardly in a singleconical surface to a zone disposed substantially outwardly of each ofsaid disks, said portions of said disks being conical, spaced apart butconverging outwardly and contacting substantially inwardly of the outerperipheries of said disks and for an extent radially of said diskssubstantially less than the radial length of said inner adjacent andangularly disposed portions of said disks, the outer portions of saiddisks being bent at an opposite obtuse angle to said surfaces of saidinner portions and being parallel and rigidly fastened together, theouter portions of each of said disks being provided with a laterallyextending flange having a bent tip, said tips of said flange portionbeing bent inwardly to provide a tire channel for a rubber tire mountedin said channel.

4. A master drive wheel comprising a pair of sheet metal disks, saiddisks having registering central apertures and the walls of the diskscircumferentially around said apertures being spaced apart, and meansformed at the central registering openings of said disks for rigidlyclamping the same in spaced apart relation, portions of said disks lyingoutwardly of said clamping means being spaced and each such portion ofeach disk being conical, said conical portions converging at an acuteangle and extending substantially radially outwardly the major portionof the radial length of said disks to join one another, said disks fromtheir initial junction of contact being disposed in parallelism and incontact and bent at an obtuse angle extending oppositely to the angle ofsaid converging portions, said contacting portions of said disks beingwelded together, the peripheral free ends of said disks being formedwith complementary flange portions providing a peripheral continuouschannel for the disks, and a rubber tire disposed in said channel.

5. A master driving wheel comprising a pair of sheet metal disks havingcentral registering apertures, the portions of the disks immediatelysurrounding said apertures being spaced apart and outer portions of saiddisks being juxtaposed and parallel and integrally united, the outerperipheral walls of the disks forming a peripheral channel, a rubbertire disposed in said channel, complemental members clampingly unitingthe inner spaced walls of said disks in rigid, united, spaced apartrelation, one of said complemental members comprising a sleeve formedwith an axial bore for the reception of a motor shaft, said sleeve atone end having a radially extending circular flange forming a clampingshoulder, a spacing ring confronting said flange and surrounding saidsleeve, and a second clamping ring adjacent and disposed on the oppositeside of and having a side wall confronting said ring, said second ringhaving an annular portion surrounding the end of said flanged sleeve andhaving a lateral extension of greater radial dimension than said annularportion concentrically surrounding but annularly spaced from the freeend of said motor shaft, and fastening means passing hrough said flangeand rings and inner circular edges of said disks for clamping the inneredges of said disks and said sleeve and rings together, and a nutthreaded on the threaded free end of said motor shaft and lying withinand annularly spaced from the annular lateral extension of said secondclamping ring to secure said wheel on said motor shaft and acting as apuller nut when unscrewed from said motor shaft to remove said wheelfrom said shaft.

EARL S. PRINCE.

JOHN BROTHERIDGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 294,730 Fulton Mar. 4, 1884893,889 Zamboni July 21, 1908 940,106 Wulfi" Nov. 16, 1909 1,379,352Lougheed May 24, 1921 1,683,738 Stanley Sept. 11, 1928 1,932,289 Jarriset a1 Oct. 24, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 249,789 GreatBritain Apr. 1, 1926

